Historic Winchester. England's first capital

Preface

. A FEW WORDS seem necessary to show why such a work as the present is needed. Its principal object is not to give new information ; with the exception of two or three MS. letters, and several local details taken from the State Papers, all the facts are within easy reach, and probably well known to historians and archæologists. Its only claim to originality is that it is the history of the whole place, not of different parts of it. This city — one of the most interesting in England, both from its past position, and from the various events of national importance which have taken place in it — has hitherto had, in this sense, no history written of it. There is Milner's history, indeed, written nearly a century ago ; there is Wood ward's, marred by having no index, but a perfect

PREFACE.

. mine of valuable information ; there are guide books, notably the excellent one of Mr. Warren ; but all these are divided into sections, wherein each ' object of interest ' is described, yet from which the knowledge of Winchester history is gathered piecemeal, and unless the reader is gifted with a marvellous memory for dates, no idea of synchronous proceedings in cathedral, city, college, and castle is gained at all. The various facts relating to each of these — component parts of one living city — seemed to need some groundwork on which to be based ; for this we have taken the national history as given to us by Dr. Stubbs and Mr. Bright. Is it too much to hope that, by so doing, not only the interest in Winchester, and in those who during past times have been connected with it, may be heightened, but that the history of England itself may come home to the citizens of its former capital with a certain definiteness and reality which it does not always do when read and regarded wholly from the standpoint of an outsider ? A list is subjoined of the chief authorities consulted by the authors, who are

PREFACE.

. IX anxious also to record their special thanks to the Rev. C. Collier, M.A., F.SA, for his ready assistance whenever they have appealed to him. A. R. B. A. C. L. Winchester : October, 18S2. FOR LOCAL INFORMATION. Milner's History of Winchester; Woodward's History of Winchester ; Bailey's Archives of Win chester ; Proceedings of Archæological Institute at Winchester in 1845; Proceedings of Archæological Association at Winchester in 1845 ; Edwards' Introduction to Liber Monasterii de Hyda ; Luard's Preface to Annales Monasterii de Win tonia; Domestic Series of Calendars of State Papers ; Dugdale's Monasticon ; Adams' Wyka mica ; History of Winchester, published by Wilkes;' Murray's Handbook of Hampshire; Murray's Hand book of Cathedrals ; Mercurius Rusticus ; Ball's Walks in Winchester ; Humbert's History of S. Cross.

PREFACE.

. X FOR GENERAL ENGLISH HISTORY. Bright's History of England ; Green's Short History of the English People; Creighton's His tory of England; Parliaments and Councils of England. FOR THE HISTORY OF SPECIAL PERIODS. Stubbs' Constitutional History ; Hallam's Con stitutional History ; Freeman's Norman Conquest ; Anglo-Saxon Chronicle; Macaulay's History; Wil liam of Malmsbury. FOR SPECIAL- PERSONAL DETATL. Earle's Gloucester Fragments ; Miss Strick land's Lives of Queens ; Walcott's William of Wykeham and his Colleges ; Fearon's Cardinal Beaufort and Henry of Blois ; Creighton's Life of Sir W. Raleigh ; Giles' Life and Letters of Thomas a Becket ; Foxe's Book of Martyrs ; Strype's Works. CONTENTS.

Chapter I

B.C. 200 — A.D. 955. t^ • PAGE Early existence of Winchester — Britons — Belgæ — Occupation by Romans — Christianity introduced — Saxon invasion — S. Birinus — Cathedral built by Cynegils and Cenwalh — See of Winchester— Ini—S. Hedda — Ecgberht— Æthelwolf— S. Swithun— Witenagemot — Danish attack — Ælfredfcmn&s Newan and Nunne Mynstres — Bishops of Winchester — Æthelstan ....... ... i

Chapter II

955—1066. Eadgai — Archbishop Dunstan — S. Æthelwold — Reform of Old and New Minsters — Benedictine life — Rebuilding of Cathedral — Translation of S. Swithun — Cathedral opened — Danish invasion — Organ in Cathedral — Massacre of Danes — Winchester yields to Swegen — Cnut — Queen Ælgifu- Emma — Eadward the Confessor — Records of city life and names of streets — Vikings — Earl God wine — Harold — Battle of Hastings ........ CONTENTS. XII PAGE

Chapter III

IO66 1135- Norman Conquest — Winchester submits- William I. 's palace — King's Coronation — Archbishop Stigand — Bishop Walkelyn —Synod held— Earl Waltheof— New Cathedral begun— Domesday Book — Curfew bell — William Rtifus — Cathedral opened — Death and burial of William — Henry I. — Dispute as to appointment of Bishop — Fall of Tower — New Minster moved to Hyde — Bishop Giffard — Trial of ' Moneyers ' — Survey of city ...... 44

Chapter IV

H35 — nSg. Stephen — Bishop Henry de Blois — S. Cross — Wolvesey — Empress M atilda — Great Council held — Civil war in city — Hyde Abbey — Archbishopric of Winchester suggested — Survey of city — Peace restored — Henry II — Charters to city — Corporate towns — Becket's letter to de Blois — Bishop Toclyve — Hospital of S. Mary Magdalen — Queen Eleanor — Coinage — Management of S. Cross — Illuminated Vulgate 71

Chapter V

11S9 — 1272. Richard I. — Charter to city — Churches built — John — Bishop de Lucy — Assize of Bread — The Interdict — Archbishop Langton — Ceremony of reconciliation — Tumult in city — Civil war — Bishop de la Roche — Henry III. — Castle Hall rebuilt — Dominican and Franciscan Monasteries — Cardinal Ottoboni — Bishop de Raleigh — King judges in Castle — Bishop Ethelmar — Simon de Montfort — Dispute between King and Monastery — Arthur'sRound Table — City besieged CONTENTS. XIII PAGE 12S — Fight between citizens and monks — Chapel of Holy Sepulchre — S. Giles' Fair — Last Mint abolished — Trade regulations ......... 97

Chapter VI

1272 — 1366. Edward I. — City memhers — Bishop Nicholas of Ely — Dispute concerning See — Bishop de Pontissara — S. John's Hospital — Carmelite and Augustine Monasteries — Statute of Winchester — Jews expelled — College of S. Elizabeth — Sir Arnold de Gaveston — King displeased with city — Bishop Woodlock — Edward II. — College of Holy Trinity — Bishop de Stratford — Execution of Earl of Kent — Edward III. — Bishop de Orlton — City topography — Bishop Edindon — The Black Death — Alterations in Cathedral — Wool staples

Chapter VII

1366 — 1404. Bishop William of Wykeham — As Chancellor — Resigns — Repair of episcopal churches — S. Cross improved — School on S. Giles' Hill — Wykeham on Council — Dismissed — Retires to Waverley — Received at Winchester — Richard II. — Wykeham again Chancellor — Parliament here — Foundation of College laid — College opened — Visitation of Monastery — Work in Cathedral — Wykeham's other works — Henry IV. — Wykeham's death — Civic records . . . . . . . . . -154

Chapter VIII

1404—1447- Bishop Henry Beaufort — As Chancellor — The Soke— City officials — Topography of city — Henry V. — Beaufort resigns CONTENTS. XIV PAGE office — Made guardian of King— Quarrels with Gloucester — Is made Cardinal— Assists Bedford in France — Disputes in Parliament with Gloucester — Henry VI. — Eton sounded —Beaufort in Winchester — S. Cross remodelled — Death of Beaufort '73

Chapter IX

1447— 153°- Bishop Waynflete- Parliament — City declines in prosperity — Civic processions — Edward IV. — Waynflete's architectural work — Edward V. — Richard III.— Henry VII. — Prince's christening — Bishop Courtenay — Bishop Langton — Prior Silkstede— Bishop Fox — Hemy VIII. — Monks of Hyde Abbey — Work in Cathedral — Fox's Letter to Wolsey — Visit of Charles V. — The Cardinal — Citizen life — College amusements — John Claptone ..... . 185

Chapter X

J53°— 1555- Thomas Cromwell— Act of Supremacy — Dissolution of Monasteries — Prior Kingsmill — Inventory of Cathedral — Letter of Commissioners — Hyde Abbey — Bull-baiting — Bishop Gardiner — Reformation — Dr. Poynet — Edward VI. — Mary — Gardiner made Chancellor — Queen's marriage — Allegiance to Rome — Gardiner's death .... 210

Chapter XI

1555— 1627. Bishop White — Thomas Bembridge — Elizabeth — Dean Steward — Bishop Home — Cathedral despoiled— City officials — Condition of streets — College — Roman Catholics persecuted—Bishop Watson — Bishop Cooper — Fairs— City seal CONTENTS. XV PAGE 235 stolen — Alarm of Plague — Bishop Bilson — James I. — Court amusements— Main and Bye Plots — Trial of Sir W. Raleigh — Decline of trade — Christ's Hospital—Arch bishop Bancroft — Poverty of city — Bishop Andrewes

Chapter XII

1627 — 1649. Bishop Neile — Bishop Curie — Dean Young — Improvements in Cathedral — City walls — Budd's Charity— Archbishop Laud — Cathedral statutes--\V arden Harris — Charles I. — George Inn — Civil war — Waller enters city — Puritan troops in Cathedral — Royalists regain Castle — Money sent to King — Colonel Boles at Alton — Waller retakes city — City churches — Cromwell's letter to Mayor — City surrenders — Church service abolished — Chapter-house ransacked — S. Cross — Charles passes through Winchester — King's death 272

Chapter XIII

1649— 1660. Commonwealth — Castle demolished — City scavenger — Threatened destruction of Cathedral — Petition of Citizens — Parishes united — State of old churches — Castle bought by city — John Woodman — The Ballot — Dress of Corporation — Unruly Children — City dissensions — Richard Cromwell 301

Chapter XIV

1660 — 1689. Bishop Duppa — Repairs in Close— Navigation Canal — Poverty of city — Petitions from Royalists— Prevention of fire — Mayor imprisoned — Dutch prisoners at Magdalen Hospital The Plague— Society of Nations — Dr. Ken — Paving of CONTENTS. PAGE 3'4 340 373 streets— Bishop Morley— Charles //.—Address to King- Palace begun — Charter surrendered — Visit of Charles — Sir John Clobery — IsaakWalton — King's house — James II. — Bishop Mews— Battle of Sedgemoor- Trial of Lady Alice Lisle— James at Winchester— Declaration of Indulgence— Marlborough— Trial of Seven Bishops— Troops in city .

Chapter XV

1689— 1881. William and Mar) — Huguenot vicar of Hyde— Anne — Prince George at Winchester — Address to Queen— Work in Cathedral — Bishop Trelawney — Old Guildhall — George I. — 'Players' forbidden — Bishop Willis — George II. —Bishop Hoadley — Hospital — French prisoners — Joseph Serres — George III. — Bishop North — Hyde Abbey School — Last Charter — Navigation — City Cross — Gaol and Bridewell — Addresses to King and Queen — French refugee clergy — Barracks — Nunnery — City gates pulled down— Rebellions at College — Improvements in Cathedral — George IV. — Duke of Wellington — William IV. — Municipal Reform Act — Buildings in city — Qnccn Victoria — Act concerning Cathedral Body — Visit of Prince Consort — Churches built and restored — Restoration of Cathedral — College tower — S. Cross — Law courts — Modern School — Conclusion INDEX

Chapter I

There can be little doubt that a town, of greater or less importance, has existed since the earliest dawn of English history on the same place where stands the Winchester of to-day. Whoever were the first dwellers in this well-watered spot in the Itchen valley, they needed no great discernment to show them the advantages of such a site for a settlement ; but there is no reliable information handed down to us of these early inhabitants, and, indeed, for several centuries we have little beside legends or exaggerated facts wherewith to gratify our curiosity. Even when names can be authenti cated we must make great allowance for the stories that cling to them, because each conquered nation or tribe wished to make the most of its past ex- B ploits and heroes, and wrote, or handed down, highly-coloured history or even pure fiction in order to glorify itself.

If the first founders of the ancient city were Celtic Britons, covering with their rude dwellings the summit and sides of S. Catherine's Hill, they were certainly conquered by the Belgæ, also pro bably of Celtic origin, who, crossing over from Gaul, established themselves in a large district of southern England. But whether in their time Winchester was called Caer Gwent is doubtful ; very probably it was simply Gwin or Gwent, the white place. It is just possible that the trench or earth-work of which traces still remain on the west side of Oram's Arbour (part of which is filled up and turned into a road), and of which we hear in the twelfth century as the " fosse," and in the fifteenth century as the " Barditch," and which was the western limit of the city liberty, may be the last vestige of this old aboriginal Belgic city.

E.C. 200, But as there is no question of the Roman occupation of Britain, first by Julius Cæsar, later on by Claudius and Vespasian, so we know that the settlement on the Itchen was turned into Venta Belgarum, and S. Catherine's Hill converted into a Roman camp. This did not come to pass, how- 54- A.D. 43- ROMAN OCCUPATION. 3 ever, without many hard struggles with the right ful owners, as the well-known history of Arviragus or Caractacus shows. But the Romans occupied Britain ; they did not thoroughly conquer it or bring about any real amalgamation between the British nation and their own highly-civilised race. Yet Venta, as well as many other towns, was completely Romanised ; temples, public buildings, baths, and private villas were built, as was amply proved by the excavations made by the South- Western Railway in 1839, and at various times since, notably during the drainage works in 1879 1880.

It was then that the Roman pavements were found ten and six feet below the surface, one in Minster Street, now in the Museum ; the other in one of the gardens in the Close, now in the porch of the Deanery. Five military high roads diverged from Venta, connecting it with Old Sarum and Bath, Cirencester, Silchester, Porchester, and Bittern, and it is believed to have been one of the stipendiary towns — one, that is, which paid taxes to the State in money, not in the produce of the soil. The Romans are said to have had manufactories here of woollen cloths, as well as of embroidery, and of tackling and sails for their ships. Not far from the present cemetery was b 164. one extensive burial-place, and another where now are S. John's Street and Water Lane, as was proved by remains found on the site of the present Magdalen Hospital, and by the lead coffins, dug out of the chalk many feet below the surface of S. John's Street in 1880.

The site of Wolvesey was occupied by one of many dwelling-houses ; a Roman drain or water conduit, made of hard chalk, was found in Eastgate Street in 1848, below the level of the present riverbed, showing that the latter must once have been lower than it now is. Strong walls of flint and mortar surrounded the place, traces of which remained till lately in the northern corner, and altogether it seems that Venta was a considerable and populous town, extending from Painter's Fields on the south to the North Walls, and from the modern cemetery to S. Giles' Hill, the present High Street being identical with the Roman Via, though the latter was much narrower. At what date Christianity was introduced we cannot tell, or when therefore the temples were either razed or turned into churches. Legend ascribes the first church or cathedral in Venta, with a body of clergy attached, to Lucius the last of the British kings ; but his very existence is doubtful (his connection with any early British THE SAXONS. 5 266. 409. 449^ coins being now completely disproved), and it may be that the Britons, not wishing to owe their build ings to the Romans, ascribed it to one of their own race.

The persecution of Diocletian certainly affected even the distant colony in our island ; the Church here, with the clergy who belonged to it, must have greatly suffered, and when the happier days of Constantine came, it must have been either built or restored, as we hear of it then as the Church of S. Amphibalus, a saint memorable as S. Alban's teacher and fellow-sufferer. But the time arrived when Rome could no longer defend herself at home, and was thus forced to leave Britain to contend with the wild North men who had already begun their inroads. The Britons implored their former masters to come back and help them, but in vain. Strange as it may seem, Rome had imparted none of her strength to the people who had once been so brave, and now they were weak, hopeless, and easily conquered, all the more so in those places where the Romans had principally taken up their abode.

We know how Vortigern, chief among the southern British kings, invited the Saxon adventurers to help him against the Picts and Scots, who encroached more and more in Britain. He and his people little thought 516, of the consequences of this act, and how the in vited mercenaries were to become their unwelcome masters ; but Kent and Sussex had first to be given up, and in 495 (as we learn from the Brito- Welsh Chronicle), there " came two ealdormen to Britain, Cerdic and Cymric," who landed at Hamble Creek, and eventually, after many battles much extolled in the Saxon Chronicle, became kings of the West Saxons. Cerdic is said to have been crowned in Venta, to have slaughtered most of the inhabitants and all the priests, and to have con verted the cathedral into a heathen temple. Tra dition says that this was in honour of Dagon, but more probably that name is a corruption of Woden, the chief deity of the Saxons, from whom each royal house traced its descent.

The name Venta now becomes Wintana, with the affix of ceaster, Saxon for fortified place. For the next hundred years the city that had known the high civilisation of the Romans and the light of Christianity was plunged into the darkness of heathenism ; culture disappeared, and even some of the famous Roman roads fell into disuse — necessarily so, when they led, as in the case of Silchester, to deserted towns. During the reigns of the West Saxon Kings the annals (whether 5. BIRINUS. 7 635 643 authentic or not) of Gwen-ceaster, or Gwent ceaster, as Venta was probably now called, tell only of petty wars between the inhabitants and their neighbours, in order to obtain more territory and to drive the Britons further west. But in the seventh century we meet with the history of S. Birinus, the Apostle of Wessex, who, forty years after the Gospel had been again revived in the eastern part of our island, was sent by Pope Honorius to the court of King Cynegils, the de scendant of Cerdic.

There is the pretty legend of Birinus walking on the sea back to the shore to fetch some altar linen which had been forgotten ; the astonishment of the crew, we are told, helps him much in his work of conversion, and having reached Cynegils' court he finds there the Chris tian Oswald, on a visit as suitor to Cynegils' daughter. Success attends the priest's mission, and he not only converts the King but inspires him to begin the building of a cathedral, and to give ground to the clergy to the extent of seven miles round the city. Cynegils, having made his son Cenwalh swear to finish it, dies before the com pletion of his work, and years afterwards his bones were placed in one of the mortuary chests in the present cathedral. Cenwalh, however, immediately 648. 664. 666, disregards his oath, and having quarrelled with Penda, king of Mercia, is overthrown by him.

After soliciting the help of Anna, of East Anglia, Cenwalh regains his kingdom, makes Winchester his royal residence, as it continues to be that of all the West Saxon kings who succeed him, and atones for his faults by finishing the cathedral (levelling in so doing the heathen temple) and en dowing it with various rich manors. There is a grand opening on Christmas Day, and S. Birinus dedicates the church to the Holy Trinity, in honour of S. Peter and S. Paul, from whom it was for the next* two hundred years commonly called " Petres hus." Christianity must have made rapid strides, for Cenwalh thought it necessary to divide the diocese of Wessex which S. Birinus had founded, and leaving Dorchester as the capital of the northern see, he gave the southern part to Wini, with Winchester for his capital.

Agilbert, Bishop of the whole diocese (one of the bishops who had been present at the Synod of Whitby, whereby the ecclesiastical allegiance of England was de cided to belong to Rome), thinking that the Kino had no right to do this, resigned his see and went over to France, where he became Bishop of Paris. Wini proving unworthy was soon driven away THE DIOCESE. 9 674. from Winchester, and Theodore of Tarsus, a Greek monk sent by the Pope to be Archbishop of Canterbury — to whom is due the whole ground work of the present organisation of the Church of England— appointed Eleutherius (in Saxon Luithari) as Bishop again for all Wessex. The union of Surrey and Hampshire into one diocese is an interesting memorial of that old kingdom, Ceawlin of Wessex having won the sub-kingdom of Surrey from Æthelbert of Kent by the battle of Wimbledon.

Dioceses were indeed in great measure coincident with kingdoms ; for, to quote the words of Dr. Smith, " the bishop's throne was set up beside the king's ; the king-dom of the one became the bishop-ric of the other. The parallel, partly concealed by the two different suffixes, is more obvious in the old cyne-rice and biscop-rice (rice signifying dominion), cyne-setl and biscop-setl (seat), cyne-stol and biscop-stol (dwelling)." Cenwalh died in 674, and was buried in the cathedral. After him followed several kings of no great mark, until we come to the good Ini, whose kingdom, having been christianised for a century, was now ready for the definite code of laws which he gave to it, instead of leaving right as heretofore to be a question of might. 676, 6S3 705 S. Hedda, who succeeded Eleutherius, deserves special mention, as the first real Bishop of Win chester.

He also was consecrated by Archbishop Theodore for the whole diocese, but after seven years he moved the seat of the see permanently to Winchester, making that city his head-quarters, and bringing with him from Dorchester the bones of S. Birinus. Whereabouts in the city he actually lived we do not know, as the statement that Cen walh built Wolvesey and gave it to Agilbert as a Bishop's palace rests on very little foundation. S. Hedda is said to have assisted Ini in drawing up his code of laws ; yet Bede speaks of him as " a good and just man, who exercised his episcopal duties rather by his innate love of virtue than by what he had gained by learning." Possibly about this time S. Wilfrid may have come to Winchester ; at least we know that he was in the eastern part of Hampshire and built there one church, if not more, and it has been thought that the church of Headbourne Worthy may also have been his work.

When S. Hedda died the see was again divided, now with the consent of the Church ; Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, and the Isle of Wight formed the see of Winchester under Bishop Daniel, a man ECGBERHT. 1 1 711 Soo, S35 " instructed as well in ecclesiastical affairs as in the knowledge of the Scriptures," who was a friend of S. Boniface and often consulted by him ; the see of Sherborne meanwhile took the rest of Wessex, but during the next Bishop's lifetime Sussex was also made into a separate see, with Selsea for the seat of its Bishop. Yet, though the Church was flourishing, it took a long time to change the manners and soften the hearts of the Saxons. The history of their kings is neither entertaining nor very edifying, till the time of Ecgberht, who, besides being a great warrior, was far more civilised and better educated than his predecessors, from having during his youth lived at the court of the great Charlemagne.

Though there is no truth in the saying that in Ecgberht's time this country was first called ' England,' and the people ' English,' yet he certainly enlarged and consolidated his kingdom (East Anglia, Mercia, and Northumbria all owning him as overlord), and he drove back the Danes, of whom we now begin to hear, defeating them in the great battle of Hengestesdun. With regard to Winchester, we hear of his granting the parishes of the four Worthys (a word derived from weorth, A.-S. home stead) to "the monastery" here — or rather, one would 836, 852 suppose, to the cathedral with its non-monastic esta blishment. He also was buried in the cathedral. The reign of the next King, Æthelwulf, is chiefly occupied in wars with the Danes, but at Winchester we have the good and humble S. Swithun, who was a native of the place, and had been both spiritual director to Ecgberht (" priest of King Ecgberht " he is styled in a contemporary charter), and tutor to his son, by whom he is in after years called "the guide of my youth."

Later on he became Prior, or rather Dean, of the Old Minster — " De canus " being most probably the title of the Superior of that religious foundation until the tenth century — and finally succeeded Elmstan as Bishop of Winchester for eleven years. In a quaint old Life of the Bishop, printed 1483, in Caxton's "Golden Legende," we read that " by his holy lyuyng he caused ye peple to lyue vertuously. And to paye truely theyr tythes to God and holy chirche. And yf ony chirche fyll doun or was in decay Saint Swythyne wold anone amede it at his owne cost. Or yf ony chirche were not halowed he wold goo thyder a fote and halowe it. For he louyd no pride ne to ride on gay hors, ne to be praysed ne flatred of the peple. Saint Swythyne guyded full well his bysshopryche 5. SWITHUN. 13 and dyd moche good to ye town of Wynchestre in his tyme."

One of his good works was the building of a stone bridge at the lower end of the town, where only a wooden one had before existed. It may have been this very bridge — probably seven arched — of which three arches were discovered perfect two feet below the road in 1880. The river then, perhaps somewhat wider than it now is, flowed by the eastern wall of the city, and carried boats right up to this bridge ; for hard by were found also the remains of the old quay, and the very stone worn by the ropes with which boats had been moored to it. We may picture to ourselves the kind Bishop often, so the story goes, sitting by whilst the workmen built the bridge, thinking that his presence would make them more diligent. As the old metrical Life of S. Swithun, written in the thirteenth century, says : — Seynt Swithan his bishopriche to al goodnesse drough, The towne also of Wynchestre he amended enough, Ffor he lette the stronge bruge without the town arere, And fond thereto lym and ston and the workmen that there were.

He is also accredited with influencing Æthelwulf in his generous behaviour towards the Church, and the King's famous charter, wherein he remitted to it the tithe of his lands, after having received the assent of all the King's thegns, was placed with much solemnity upon the high altar of the cathedral, and is now preserved in the British Museum. By this donation of Æthelwulf's, " missions " in outlying districts were founded, which in course of time became mother churches or " minsters " for the parishes around ; and this act of the King's really marks an important epoch in Church history, and, to quote the words of the Rev. J. Earle, " if it be rightly interpreted, Swithun achieved a great benefit for his country and a great service in the cause of Christianity. It entitles him to take rank not only among the promoters, but almost among the founders of the national church.

Next to the introduction of the Gospel into the land, the machinery for its diffusion was of the greatest importance. If Chris tianity was to cope with the native paganism, it must be carried into each remote hamlet. The measure of giving to religious uses a tenth of all the royal land must have acted as a strong pre cedent and example, and we may believe that the fruits of Swithun's policy witnessed for him a century after his decease and helped to resuscitate his fame." THE WITENAGEMOT. 15 855, S56. 863, As we hear of a Witenagemot in Winchester at this time, it may have been held to discuss this question of tithes. That assembly was composed of the Witan or wise men, the king (sometimes his wife and son also being present), the bishops of the kingdom, the ealdormen, the king's dependants — i.e., the ministers or king's thegns ; and, doubtless, at this Witenagemot was present the Win chester wic-reeve, an elective officer who ruled in large royal cities.